🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $17,167/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$10,866 — major value play)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.9× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
12,564
10,000 - 19,999
In-state tuition
$10,866
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$31,256
+$20,390 vs in-state
Admit rate
69.9%
Accessible
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$67,979
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$51,380
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,979
4-year completion
61%
Median debt (completers)
$19,500
Cost of attendance
$28,802
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
44%

💰 True ROI

9.9× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$68,668
$17,167/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$46,540
vs sticker $115,208
10-yr earnings total
$679,790
$67,979/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.0 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At University at Albany, the average net price is $17,167/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$11,112/yr
Family income $30-48k
$14,062/yr
Family income $48-75k
$17,923/yr
Family income $75-110k
$20,037/yr
Family income $110k+
$24,085/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use University at Albany's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University at Albany →

Opens on University at Albany's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University at Albany

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University at Albany actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Social Sciences
469 degrees · 26.1%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
414 degrees · 23.0%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
356 degrees · 19.8%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.
4. Computer & Information Sciences
297 degrees · 16.5%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
5. Psychology
263 degrees · 14.6%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at University at Albany

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Applied Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree $65,604 $103,659
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 117 $55,124 $98,010
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. Bachelor's Degree 36 $45,637 $95,885
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 136 $49,759 $80,285
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 304 $48,605 $76,633
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 45 $45,744 $71,211
Chemistry. Bachelor's Degree 36 $48,276 $70,124
Homeland Security. Bachelor's Degree 191 $38,472 $69,365
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other. Bachelor's Degree $44,758 $68,928
Mathematics and Statistics, Other. Bachelor's Degree $51,917 $68,843

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University at Albany

CS degrees (annual)
147
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University at Albany vs. another college

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